BAM Construction has been appointed by Scottish Borders Council to deliver the £46 million full-rebuild of Peebles High School in Peeblesshire.

The state-of-the-art two-storey campus in Peebles will replace the previous school that was badly damaged in a fire in 2019.

With an emphasis on sustainability, the new facility has been designed by Glasgow-based architects Stallan Brand.

BAM will also be responsible for full external landscaping, internal paths, service access and supplementary car parking, the extension of the school’s existing sports block and provision of new external sports facilities including a 3G all-weather sports pitch.

Scottish Borders Council’s development partner, Hub South East, will oversee the project through the various development phases.

Planning applications are due to be submitted next year before a period of further design development for the project. Construction work on the new campus is expected to commence in late 2022.

Scottish Borders Council has placed a major focus on investing in the futures of young people in recent years and a Learning Estate Programme has been created to prioritise the accessibility of high-quality education facilities across the Borders. The full-rebuild of Peebles High School was identified as a priority project as part of the Council’s effort to modernise school infrastructure in the region.

Councillor Carol Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council Executive Member for Children and Young People, commented:

‘The appointment of BAM Construction as tier 1 contractor for the construction of the Peebles High School campus and the announcement of our continued partnership with Hub South East marks an important step in the progression of this major project.

‘We believe that BAM’s track record in successfully delivering projects of this scale can help the Council achieve its ambition of providing world-class education facilities for young learners across the Borders.

‘We want to create a facility that recognises and celebrates the unique beauty of the Peebles area which can become a focal point for the surrounding area. Careful thought and consideration has been taken in designing a building that reflects the history of the town and blends in to its local environment.’

Martin Cooper, Construction Director for BAM, said:

‘Not only will we deliver very sustainable, highly modern and extensive facilities for the students and staff at Peebles High School, but BAM will use our time here to work with the community and local firms to make sure we give something back beyond creating a great building. It’s a great opportunity for us all and we will be reaching out to our partners so that we can all make the most of it.’

The decision to undertake a full-rebuild of the school followed a feasibility study conducted in 2020. The study examined the educational and energy-efficiency benefits offered by the proposed new facility, as well as the costs and timescales of a full new-build as opposed to a partial replacement of facilities damaged or destroyed by the fire.

Upon completion of the new building, pupils will be transferred to the new facility allowing for the final phase of the project which will include the demolition of existing school buildings and construction of the new car parks.

Peebles High School is the second education facility project to recently be delivered by BAM in the Scottish Borders. In March 2020, BAM completed the £32 million construction of Jedburgh Grammar Campus which serves nursery, primary and secondary school children, as well as further education students.

BAM Construction’s track record in education in Scotland and across the UK places it firmly among the most experienced and expert education providers.